NBA season unfolds amid vaccine row
NEW YORK – NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday that around 96 percent of players in the league have now been vaccinated against COVID-19 despite union opposition to a league-wide mandate.
Speaking to reporters on the eve of the new NBA season, which tips off on Tuesday, Silver said the number of vaccinated players had increased and was expected to go higher after the season starts.
“Roughly 96 percent of our players are vaccinated, and that number will likely tick up a bit when the season starts,” Silver told reporters.
Issues around vaccine hesitancy have loomed over the build-up to the 2021-2022 season, most notably with Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving effectively being sidelined over his refusal to get vaccinated.
The Nets subsequently said Irving would not play in either home or away games as long as he remains unvaccinated.
Silver said Monday he hoped Irving would eventually change his mind.
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